Match Previews: Serie A (Week 9)

Kaka just proved why he was once Serie A’s golden boy. An impressive performance against Udinese and a noteworthy move in the Champions League, makes AC Milan a strong scudetto contender this season.

Likewise, the army from Fiorentina envisions to continue their winning streak after surprising Juventus with a 4-2 victory.

Chievo vs. Fiorentina Match Preview

Match Date: 27 October 2013 (local time)

Venue: Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi

Team Form

Chievo

Chievo’s planned escape from the relegation zone may not materialize soon. The club is pitted against Fiorentina, whose spirits remain high after upsetting the plaudit worth, Juventus.

Chievo’s defeat to Genoa was a crucial one. After the said match, they are pitted against Fiorentina and Roma. Among the three, the Genoa encounter gives them the best possibility of clinching against a victory. However, with the way things went for the club, it seemed that their efforts to leave the relegation arena, remained futile

Fiorentina

Fiorentina unleashed a huge shockwave when the dominant Juventus bowed down to its knees after the striker Giuseppe Rossi netted a hat trick and defeated the Biaconeris with 4 goals to 2.

Every now and then, Juve gets the upper hand when they go against Fiorentina. But the last match was different. Rossi stressed that the club has gone back to its “winning ways,” after being forced to settle with 2 consecutive draws. The results prior to the triumph against Juventus have readily prevented the club from moving higher in Serie A’s table.

However, the stunning win was more than enough to inspire the squad in continuing their winning streak. But prior to having an early celebration, Fiorentina needs to address its injury issues.
With only several days to go before the Chievo encounter, midfielder Massimo Ambrosini may not be able to perform on the pitch after suffering a lesion during the Juventus battle. Similarly, Josip Ilicic is sidelined for at least 2 weeks due to an ankle injury.

Even with their injuries, there is no way that Chievo can put a stop to Fiorentina. Despite playing at their own territory, one cannot expect the club to slow down. Instead, expect more goals coming from the visitors.

A come from behind spoil from Hellas Veronas prevented Parma from moving a notch higher in Serie A. Just when they thought that that they had the lead and therefore, the victory, Verona’s Jorginho Frello took advantage of his stints at the penalty line, converted and stole the spotlight from their opponents.

Indeed, the upset has a major impact in the club’s morale. They could have avoided a sticky situation, but did not. Pitted against AC Milan, Parma has no other option but to win. Although they can relax a bit when they meet Genoa, a tough encounter awaits them when they meet Juventus. Should they fail to overcome the Rossoneris, this could trigger a seemingly unstoppable decline in Italy’s top-flight league.

AC Milan

The Rossoneris are back with a vengeance. The draw against Barcelona is a testament to AC Milan’s return to their winning form. And this does not only apply to the Champions League, but also to Serie A.

AC Milan had a hard time recovering from its slow start. Nevertheless, a victory against Udinese despite the absence of its 2 strikers i.e Mario Balotelli and Stephan El Shaarawy, signaled the club’s impending threat on the pitch.
Rising to the occasion were the all-time favorite, Kaka, who has been missing in action for quite some time. Several times, the creative playmaker created different scoring opportunities for the squad. Likewise, during the match against Barcelona, it was his assist that allowed Robinho to deliver a clinical finish and take the early lead.

But it was not only Kaka who made an impression, there was Valter Birsa who scored the club’s first, last and only goal during the match against Udinese. It was also the same Valter Birsa, who showed off a powerful force in the Champions League clash.

Despite the 3 losses, AC Milan’s most recent victory helped them land on the 8th spot of Serie A’s ranking.

While it is true that injury issues continue to haunt AC Milan, their previous performance showed that not even injuries can prevent them from winning. The club has already adjusted well in such situations and with their renowned players making their huge comeback, the harder it becomes for the club to be easily thrown out of the pitch.